Second wave of airstrikes on Iraq begins
WASHINGTON - U.S. forces triggered a second wave of airstrikes
against Iraq today as President Clinton said "it would have been a
disaster" if the United States had stood aside and allowed Iraq to develop
weapons of mass destruction.
Defense Secretary William Cohen said the first round of airstrikes had
produced "severe damage" to some targets.
The second wave sent cruise missiles deep into Iraq, and Navy strike
aircraft with laser-guided bombs targeted Iraqi air defenses along the
border, said a senior defense official who asked not to be identified.
"The B-52s are on the way," said a senior military planner, who also
spoke on condition of anonymity.
Clinton, meeting in the Oval Office with top military and foreign policy
advisers this morning, expressed regret that there would inevitably be
"unintended casualties."
The strikes began in the early evening Iraqi time, shortly after 11 a.m.
EST, the senior defense official said.
In Baghdad, children went to school and government workers to their
offices as usual after the first night's attacks. Downtown streets were
busy with traffic. Saddam Hussein's whereabouts were unknown, but he
appeared on television to condemn the "wicked people" who launched
hundreds of missiles.
Amid images of crumpled brick buildings in Baghdad, an Iraqi doctor said
30 people were wounded and two killed during the initial attacks.
Clinton said the military operation would not be affected by the
impeachment drama on Capitol Hill.
He brushed aside criticism from Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and
other Republicans skeptical about his motives for the attack. "I am
convinced the decision I made ... though difficult was absolutely the right
thing to do," he said.
As to whether the attack was a diversionary tactic against impeachment,
Clinton said, "I don't believe any serious person would believe any
president would do such a thing."
The president said he had bent over backwards not to use force, noting
that he canceled an attack at the last second last November when
Saddam promised to comply with U.N. weapons inspectors.
"I think it is very important that we not allow Saddam Hussein to destroy
the (inspection) system without any penalty whatever" and to escape
sanctions," he said. "I think it would have been a disaster for us to do this,
so regrettably I made this decision."
The president also served notice that it would be "a disastrous mistake" if
Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait.
The House, which had been scheduled to begin debating four articles of
impeachment against Clinton today, instead convened to consider a
resolution of support for American forces involved in the Iraqi operation.
Outgoing House Speaker Newt Gingrich said he was giving Clinton
qualified support and told legislators: "The United States has to lead.
There is no alternative. There is no other country capable of organizing
against an Iraqi dictator who wants to get weapons of mass destruction."
Without mentioning the impeachment proceedings directly, Gingrich said:
"No matter what our debates at home, we are as a nation prepared to
lead the world"
In a series of TV and radio interviews from the Pentagon, Cohen was
asked repeatedly if the first day's attacks had been successful. "I'm not
trying to classify them as being totally successful at this point," he told
AP Radio.
He said officials were still studying the intelligence, but preliminary
reports had shown that targets had been hit. He characterized the
damage as "severe" and "substantial" and said he was "impressed with
the accuracy" of the strikes.
National security adviser Sandy Berger, without elaborating on details of
the next wave of airstrikes, said: "This operation is not completed."
"We know very much what we want to accomplish," he said. "We know
what the targets are that we seek to destroy or hit and we will
systematically attack those targets."
Around the capital, security was tightened at embassies and other
"critical installations."
Cohen repeatedly denied any political motive by Clinton in launching the
attacks in the face of impeachment proceedings.
"There has never been a political decision coming out of this building
from President Clinton dealing with our men and women in uniform,"
Cohen said on Fox TV.
Iraq, Russia and China called for an immediate halt to the U.S. and
British attacks, but a divided United Nations Security Council took no
action.
Americans strongly supported the military action, according to polls by
CBS and ABC. In the CBS poll, about 80% said they favored the strike.
According to the ABC survey, 62% said attacking Iraq was the right
thing to do.
"Operation Desert Fox," which the administration said could last up to
four days, was designed to diminish Iraq's ability to produce outlawed
nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
In a televised address Wednesday from the Oval Office, Clinton said he
ordered the strikes to protect America's "vital interests" after consulting
top advisers and reviewing a new United Nations report detailing how
Saddam had once again failed to cooperate with U.N. weapons
inspectors.
"Saddam Hussein must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the
world with nuclear weapons, poison gas or biological weapons," Clinton
said. "I have no doubt today that, left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will
use these terrible weapons again."
The first strike began with warships in the Persian Gulf launching
hundreds of satellite-guided cruise missiles. To clear the way, Navy
EA-6B planes fired anti-radar missiles at air defense outposts. Up to 300
cruise missiles were on tap for possible use within the first 24 hours,
military officials said.
The Pentagon announced it was sending extra planes and troops to the
area, including 10 F-117 Stealth fighters, Patriot antimissile units and
troops including military police, communications specialists and Special
Forces units.
Cohen said the decision to use force had been long in the making. "Iraq
has exhausted all patience," he said.
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said the attacks were not designed
to "get Saddam Hussein." But she said the United States would step up
its contacts with opposition groups.
Even before the president revealed the attacks, however, Lott, R-Miss.,
criticized the military action, which came on what would have been the
eve of House impeachment proceedings against Clinton.
"While I have been assured by administration officials that there is no
connection with the impeachment process in the House of
Representatives, I cannot support this military action in the Persian Gulf
at this time," Lott said.
Former President Bush, who presided over the 1991 Gulf War against
Iraq, said he supported Clinton's action "as long as one American military
airman, seaman or soldier is in harm's way." |
